On Wednesday, violent supporters of President Donald Trump staged a historic insurrection against the United States.
The certification of November’s presidential election results was set to take place in the U.S. Capitol building. That morning, Donald Trump, his family and his closest supporters took to the lawn of the White House and called upon their Republican colleagues to refuse the certification of election results. Rudy Giuliani used language like “trial by combat” as tensions rose among the thousands in attendance.
At 2:15 p.m., Vice President Mike Pence was rushed to a secure location as conspiracy theorists, neo-nazis and fascists stormed the gates of one of our nation’s most sacred structures. The Capitol was held by rioters throughout the day with little resistance from law enforcement. One person was shot and killed.
What happens next is unclear, but it’s all too apparent how we got here. Throughout Trump’s dangerous presidency, far too many Republicans stood by him with unwavering loyalty. Even when he tried to contest a legitimate election, his allies did not budge. These are the Republicans representing Ohioans that played a vital role in putting America in this position.
Gov. Mike DeWine (R) refused to denounce efforts to challenge the election.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) led efforts in the house to block the certification of the presidential election.
Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Troy) publicly announced his plans to reject the certification of election results.
Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Lakeville) announced his plans to reject the certification of election results on the grounds it was fraudulent and illegal.
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Marietta) falsely claimed the election “violated the U.S. Constitution.” He planned to refuse the certification of election results.
Mike Turner (R-Dayton) did not denounce efforts to contest the certification of election results.
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Westwood) did not denounce efforts to contest the certification of election results.
Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Westwood) did not denounce efforts to contest the certification of election results.
Rep. David Joyce (R-Bainbridge) did not denounce efforts to contest the certification of election results. Instead, he opted for a coded statement about transparent elections and legal votes.
Take a good look at the names of these politicians and the cities they represent. What happened today would not be possible without their support or their silence.
Sadly, the disdain for democracy does not stop at the governor or federal representatives. House Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville), who represents Athens, chose to spread conspiracy theories instead of denouncing his party’s actions. Rep. Edwards baselessly accused the domestic terrorists inside the Capitol of being “antifa” on his Facebook account. Lies like that make Edwards just as guilty as the men and women who stormed the gates in D.C.
These elected officials have chosen the side of history they will be on. Despite what they do and say now, they enabled this. Do not forget their names.
Noah Wright is a senior studying strategic communication at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk to Noah? Tweet him @NoahCampaign.
Mikayla Rochelle (@mikayla_roch) contributed to this column.
